Collinse's Mountain Chorus Frog (Pseudacris collinsorum)
Description: They are small frogs with similar brown patterns of most chorus frogs. Often tan to brown with darker curved markings and a triangular mark on head. Dark parentheses or crescents on dorsum, (curvier lines than other chorus frogs).
Habitat: This species inhabits drier and/or more pine-dominated areas than P. brachyphona, which in contrast largely inhabits mesic habitats.
Range: Native to the coastal plateau of Alabama and elevated areas south of the Tennessee River in Mississippi. They are only found in northeast Mississippi.
Diet: Mountain chorus frogs rely mostly on insects as a food source. They eat beetles, which make up much of their diet. Other prey items include spiders, bugs, ants, leafhoppers, fliescentipedes, earthworms, and butterfly and moth larvae.
Reproduction: Mountain chorus frogs begin their breeding season from early spring (around February) into late spring (June). During this time, males and females can mate multiple times but females generally only produce one clutch of eggs. Males begin the mating season by locating small breeding ponds. Once they find a suitable habitat they begin calling; this is the main way the males attract females. Females arrive at these pools and are greeted by males who grasp onto their backs to begin the mating ritual. After mating, males try to attract other females for mating. After breeding, females and males return to their terrestrial, forested habitats.
Status: It is classified as Imperiled in Georgia, Vulnerable in Mississippi, and in Alabama and North Carolina there is not enough data for classification.
Taxonomy: Formerly considered a population of the Appalachian mountain chorus frog (P. brachyphona), a study published in 2020 found significant genetic divergence from P. brachyphona and thus described it as a distinct species, P. collinsorum. It was named in honor of herpetologist Joseph T. Collins and his wife, wildlife photographer Suzanne L. Collins. Prior to his passing, Joseph Collins had contributed many specimens to be used in the study.
»» Kingdom: Animalia - Animals
»» Phylum: Chordata - Chordates
»» Subphylum: Vertebrata - Vertebrates
»» Class: Amphibia - Amphibians
»» Order: Anura - Frogs & Toads
»» Family: Hylidae - Treefrogs
»» Genus: Pseudacris
»» Species: Pseudacris collinsorum - Collinse's Mountain Chorus Frog
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Collinse's Mountain Chorus Frog", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0. Content may have been omitted from the original, but no content has been changed or extended.
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